The present invention relates generally to devices for stretching and holding fabric taut during embroidery, stitchery and painting.
Prior devices for stretching and holding fabric taut have been round embroidery hoops, stretcher frames and stretcher bars. The embroidery hoops have been characterized by an inner continuous ring and an outer split ring having some type of adjustment mechanism for varying the size of the outer ring. Typical of such prior art embroidery hoops is the embroidery frame disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,647 issued on Sept. 23, 1975. Although the circular adjustable embroidery hoops work very well, because of the rectangular nature of woven fabric, the corners of the fabric cannot be worked in these circular embroidery hoops unless additional fabric is basted to the edges of the embroidery fabric to be held in the hoop. Further, a round hoop must be moved around the fabric to cover the entire design. During this movement, textured stitches may be caught between the inner and outer rings of the hoop and may be flattened. Or, a hoop must be excessively large to contain a centered rectangular design. Also, the finished embroidery or painted work within the circular adjustable embroidery hoops must be removed prior to mounting a suitable frame since hoops with the screw-type adjustment devices characteristically used in adjusting the outer hoop ring are not desirable as display frames.
Other stretcher frames have been proposed such as the tensioning frame disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,093,136 issued Apr. 14, 1914. In this particular frame, tensioning arms are mounted on a rectangular frame. The tensioning arms are rotated into position to thereby stretch the fabric and hold it taut. This tensioning frame, due to the tensioning arms is an unsightly frame for permanent mounting and display of a finished embroidery piece or painting.
Another typical stretcher frame is the needlework frame disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,270 issued Aug. 23, 1977. This particular needlework frame is based upon providing two distinct support brackets between which two dowels are rotatably mounted to form a rectangular frame. The fabric is attached to both dowels with stretching being accomplished by suitable rotation of the dowels. Although this particular needlework frame provides convenient stretching of the fabric, it is only a temporary stretching frame and is not suitable for permanent display. In addition to stretcher frames and embroidery hoops, stretcher bars exist, but they need to be assembled and wedged into position. Stationary wooden frames are also used for stretching and holding fabric, canvases or the like. The disadvantage of wooden frames, stretcher bars, and stretcher frames is that in order for the fabric to be stretched onto the particular frame, it must be tacked or stapled into position. Tacking or stapling requires additional tools plus removal of the tacks or staples is difficult. For this reason, once the fabric is stitched or painted, it usually remains on the stretcher bar because of the inconvenience of removing it.